


(you're) the closest to heaven i'll ever be

by mewantcandy



Category: A3! (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Flower Shop, Fluff, M/M, Not Canon Compliant
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-10
Updated: 2020-07-10
Packaged: 2021-03-05 02:35:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,428
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25187272
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mewantcandy/pseuds/mewantcandy
Summary: Itaru's subordinates aresolucky that he'ssucha nice senpai who offered to pick up the flowers they needed. Or, maybe, he's the lucky one, because when else would he get the chance to flirt with cute florists?
Relationships: Chigasaki Itaru/Tsukioka Tsumugi
Kudos: 78





	(you're) the closest to heaven i'll ever be

**Author's Note:**

> and, as such, i have tried my hand at writing A3! content. full disclaimer, i have no idea how to write itaru. or tsumugi. or most A3 characters, really. i'm just kind of winging it.
> 
> i wrote this all in one go and it's lowkey a ventfic, but whatever.
> 
> title from iris by the goo goo dolls.

Itaru is running late.

Or, well, he's _pretty sure_ he's running late. He's too busy running down the street to check. The sun is in the sky, so he thinks it's ten in the morning, maybe a bit later. He's never been particularly good at gauging the time through celestial bodies.

People stare as he passes by, and some part of him hates that. He knows he looks strange, sprinting down the street in the middle of the morning, all dressed up in a suit and tie, but that doesn't mean anyone can just look at him however they please. He has half a mind to flip them off, but that's more trouble than it's worth, and he's already running late enough as is without worrying about his image.

It's not his fault that there aren't any flowers. That's what he tells himself, at least, and if he doesn't think about it, then it's completely true. It's not his fault that his subordinates forgot to make sure the flowers had arrived for the opening ceremony of today's event, because he _did_ remind them to. And if he didn't check the day before, then, well, that was because he trusted his subordinates to do things right, and definitely not because he went home directly after work to grind for an event.

Another self-pitying sigh slips past Itaru's lips as he rounds the corner. Really, they're lucky he's such a nice and benevolent senpai, and that he offered to go get the flowers because he was already running late anyway. Not that he quite appreciates the detour he has to take, but it is what it is.

The place they ordered flowers from is in a particularly annoying position, right in the middle of the train station closest to work, and the station that comes before. It means that Itaru has to do the absolute maximum amount of walking, and that irritates him to no end. He's already sweating under his suit, and, not for the first time, he faintly entertains the idea of exercising more and getting into shape, before the idea is firmly shoved out of his mind.

It's not like he plans on making this a common occurrence, anyway.

He rounds another corner, then breathes a sigh of relief as he sees the brightly-colored sign of the flower shop come into view. He slows to a walk, then wonders if it's worth it to hail a cab to bring him to the office. Probably not, because from what he can tell, the traffic is horrible today, and, even if it means that he'll have to walk some more, he'll have to go by foot if he wants to make it in time.

"Oh, woe is me," he mutters to himself, stopping outside the door to the flower shop. Through the frosted glass, he can make out the colors of flowers lining the walls, and the distorted shape of their silhouettes. He takes a moment to catch his breath, counting silently up to five in his head before he pushes the door open. Immediately, he's hit by a blast of cool air, and it feels nice against the heat of the outside.

(It's not _actually_ that hot. Not by regular standards, anyway, but Itaru's someone who's used to staying in air conditioned rooms for hours on end, and anything higher than twenty-two degree celsius is way too hot.)

The light tinkling of the bell above the doorframe announces his presence. There's no one at the counter, but someone calls out from the back room. "Sorry, sorry! I'll be there in a second!" Not that he really has any seconds to spare, Itaru thinks, taking out his phone to check the time. Ten thirty. He has half an hour to get the flowers and arrive at the office if he doesn't want to be told off for incompetence.

Still, the short break is a lifesaver for Itaru, who, after taking another quick moment to breathe, opens one of the games he's ranking on. Maybe he can clear his LP bar while he waits for the florist to finish doing whatever it is that florists do in back rooms.

He thinks that this situation sounds faintly like something out of an otome game. He wryly wonders if there's going to be the option to flirt with the florist who comes out of the back room. Maybe he'll be given a love confession in the form of a bouquet of red roses, or something similarly cheesy.

He turns his attention back to the home screen of his game, which has just finished loading, but before he can click any buttons, he hears the door behind the counter opens. Itaru sighs softly to himself, exiting his game and instead tapping on the gallery icon. His eyes flicker up to meet the florist and--

"Good morning! Sorry for the wait. How can I help you?"

He's _gorgeous._

Itaru takes a distracted step closer, finger flicking through the photos in his phone until he reaches the digital receipt he was sent earlier that morning. He takes another second to realize that he hasn't actually _done_ anything, and is, in fact, just standing there like a moron.

"I'm here to pick up some flowers," Itaru says, flashing a charming grin as he slides his phone over. The florist leans close to the counter to look at Itaru's phone, then carefully picks it up and holds it up like--

Like a grandma.

Itaru holds back a snort, and isn't sure whether he's annoyed or charmed as the florist squints at his phone screen, tapping at it to zoom in on the different things written. At one point, his eyes widen as he swipes, and Itaru's almost afraid that he's swiped too far and come across one of the edits he has saved on his phone.

Still, he waits like a perfect gentleman, if only because he knows rushing things won't actually make this go any quicker. Finally, after what seems like hours and hours, the florist smiles and places his phone back on the counter.

"Sorry, that took a while, huh?" The florist smiles sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head. "I'm not really good at technology."

And it's not like Itaru really has the time to be making small talk and flirting with cute florists, but he finds himself answering anyway. "Really? That's kind of cute, y'know." His smile is picture perfect as he leans against the counter.

The florist lets out a startled sound that's somewhere between a laugh and a squeak. "Right," he says quickly. "Um. I'll go get your flowers and be right back."

Itaru holds back a laugh as the florist scurries to the back room. He swipes his phone up, putting it on sleep mode before slipping it into his pocket. It _is_ like an otome game, he thinks idly, and he's always been pretty good at those. He doesn't plan on making the florist fall in love with him, or anything stupid like that, but the lighthearted flirting has already made his breathing come easier.

The florist steps out a moment later, carrying a bouquet of assorted flowers, perfectly arranged. "It's beautiful," Itaru says. And then, because he can't quite help himself, "Almost as beautiful as you."

The florist turns red, squeaking again, and Itaru can't help but feel a flutter in his chest at the sound. "Sorry, sorry. Did I go too far?"

"Ah, no. You're fine," the florist manages steadily, maintaining some sort of professionalism, though his hands are trembling slightly as he passes the bouquet to Itaru. "Do you need anything else?"

"No, I'm fine. Thanks, cutie."

"My name's Tsukioka, actually. Tsukioka Tsumugi."

Itaru blinks slowly, then laughs. "Okay, well. Thanks, Tsukioka-san. I have to get going, but it was nice talking to you." A warm feeling settles in his chest when he realizes that he _actually means it_ this time, and he's not just saying it to be nice.

Tsukioka waves at him with a bright smile, and Itaru offers a one-fingered salute back before he leaves the shop. Tsukioka Tsumugi, huh...?

Itaru's phone rings as he steps out onto the street, the heat once again stifling, even though he's only been out for a moment. He reaches into his pocket and answers the call from his subordinate as he starts walking to the office.

"Hello?"

"Senpai? The ceremony's about to start. Where are you?"

Itaru blinks, tugs the phone away from his cheek, and checks the time. Ten fifty. _Shit._ He'd better start running.

**Author's Note:**

> thank you to my friends, who have given me itatsumu brainrot. i hope you're all happy <3 if you liked it, leave a comment, and you can find me on twitter, linked in my profile.


End file.
